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NATS

Simple, secure and high-performance messaging

Reviewed byRoman K· 2026-06-27

About

Cloud-native messaging for microservices, edge, and IoT. Pub/sub, request/reply, JetStream.

messagingcncfpub-subopen-source

Metrics

20.1k
GitHub Stars
1.9k
Forks
840.0k
npm Downloads/wk
517
Open Issues

More in Queues & Message Bus

Frequently asked questions

What is NATS?

Cloud-native messaging for microservices, edge, and IoT. Pub/sub, request/reply, JetStream. It falls under the queues & message bus category and uses a open-source pricing model. The project is actively maintained with 20.1k GitHub stars.

Is NATS free?

Yes, NATS offers a free plan that you can use without a credit card. The pricing model is open-source.

How much does NATS cost?

NATS is free to start. It uses a open-source pricing model. A free plan is available for small projects or evaluation. Check https://nats.io for the latest pricing details and plan comparison.

What category is NATS in?

NATS is a queues & message bus tool. Job queues, event brokers, pub/sub infrastructure You can compare NATS with 2 alternatives in the same category on Soft.xyz.

Is NATS open source?

Yes, NATS is open source and freely available on GitHub. It has 20.1k stars and 1.9k forks, with the last commit on 2026-06-27. You can inspect the source code, contribute, or self-host it.

What are alternatives to NATS?

Popular alternatives to NATS include Apache Kafka, RabbitMQ. Each offers different pricing, features, and community support. You can compare them side-by-side on Soft.xyz using real metrics like GitHub stars, npm downloads, and actual pricing data.

How popular is NATS?

NATS has 20.1k stars on GitHub and 840.0k weekly npm downloads. This places it among the most popular tools in its category. The project was last updated on 2026-06-27.